Longing for travel? 2021 hopes, plans?

[Florestan]

Bucharest ... at the head of a large invading tank-column.
Greater Hungary, lads!!!

Bucharest??? Your column won't even make it past Nădlac. 

The Romanian army, on the other hand, had a very nice sojourn in Budapest in 1919. 

[Que]

Don't know if you're aware, but Thailand is a totalitarian state for the benefit of an absentee king, his harem and a small elite of generals. The tourism is part of it.

Thai people have been demonstrating for months now to put an end to supression, and yet, tourists are saying "but it's so lovely and cheap!"

In any dictatorship any serious money that is generated or comes in, is channeled to the pockets of the ruling elite.
So going anywhere in Africa or Asia as a tourist is off limits from that perspective.
And so is buying anything from those countries, or buying anything for the production of which natural resources from those countries have been used.
Same applies to countries that might be democratic, but are suffering from widespread corruption - your money will end up in the wrong pockets.

Besides, international travels are bad for the environment....

Q

[steve ridgway]

That's one of the privileges of living there - the space and variation you've got. Yorkshire/Northumberland are on my wish-list too.

From my current reading - The Gallery of Geography, 1899.

It seems as though with an intentional propriety, Great Britain, seated at the very centre of the hemisphere containing nearly all the land of the globe, had been placed in such a position to serve as an index to its diversified formations, being a model representation of them.

[André Le Nôtre]

'
Send me an PM whenever you decide to visit western Norway. I can provide you with guiding and perhaps some company/accomodations.

Personally I hope to be able to travel late 2021. San Sebastian/Galicia is high on the list (I've been there twice), but late autumn isn't optimal on the Atlantic coast.

My wife and I are itching to take an "Aurora Borealis" trip some winter, possibly to Norway. I was in Bergen in 2012 (Hotel Augustin) for a few days as a side-excursion from a meeting in Oslo. Would love to return with my wife, but we would also want to explore up the coast--Bodø, Tromsø, Hammerfest, are of interest. We are looking for a good chance to see the aurora, preferably very close to a beautiful beach and a nice town with good dining options. I am also looking to not have to rent a car or drive (as is usually the case when I visit Europe--Ireland excepted).  Any advice?! Thanks! 

[vandermolen]

I'd like to go to Iceland and to see the Northern Lights but my wife likes hot climates 

I'd also like to visit the sites of the Normandy Landings of 1944 in France but I may have to do that with my daughter.

My wife and I hope to go to Vietnam and New Zealand one day.

Alternatively, I can stay at home, play with the cat and listen to my CDs 

[The new erato]

My wife and I are itching to take an "Aurora Borealis" trip some winter, possibly to Norway. I was in Bergen in 2012 (Hotel Augustin) for a few days as a side-excursion from a meeting in Oslo. Would love to return with my wife, but we would also want to explore up the coast--Bodø, Tromsø, Hammerfest, are of interest. We are looking for a good chance to see the aurora, preferably very close to a beautiful beach and a nice town with good dining options. I am also looking to not have to rent a car or drive (as is usually the case when I visit Europe--Ireland excepted).  Any advice?! Thanks! 

if you don't want to drive and still see the incredibly beautiful coastline (I prefer the stretch from Trondheim to Lofoten myself) I guess your only option is the coastal express route when that opens post Covid. Otherwise Tromsø is the natural option for an attractive city of some size.

[André Le Nôtre]

Thanks, that looks great! (but I will not be jumping off that cliff.)

[TMHeimer]

I was unable to go to the NYC area Summer 2020. Our summer Band concert series was cancelled (1st time since it's founding in 1969), plus the U.S.-Canada border has of course been closed since March. I did manage my usual 2 weeks at the cabin in Northern Manitoba last month. I'm hoping 2021 will see the border open and my concerts in NY a go. 2020 was the first Summer not doing concerts there for me since 1986. Of course, I hope the vaccine gets to Canada in time for me as well.

[Mirror Image]

I was unable to go to the NYC area Summer 2020. Our summer Band concert series was cancelled (1st time since it's founding in 1969), plus the U.S.-Canada border has of course been closed since March. I did manage my usual 2 weeks at the cabin in Northern Manitoba last month. I'm hoping 2021 will see the border open and my concerts in NY a go. 2020 was the first Summer not doing concerts there for me since 1986. Of course, I hope the vaccine gets to Canada in time for me as well.

I'm hoping to travel to Canada next year. I really want to go to Montreal and Quebec City, but I'd love to see the maritime landscapes of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I mean looking at these photos, how could I resist?

[Brian]

We had to cancel trips to Oregon (girlfriend was to run a half-marathon around a tulip farm during bloom in March) and Atlanta (she was going to a PhD lab reunion), and we likely would have visited friends in New York this fall. Returning to NYC for a weekend is high on my late 2021 hopes, and we're thinking that when restrictions are fully lifted, we'll take at least 2 weeks to go somewhere extravagant. The time of year likely dictates what that is: if we can travel in May, the UK; if it's the fall, maybe the US west coast or Central America. There are so many places I want to visit that I don't much mind which.

I'm hoping to travel to Canada next year. I really want to go to Montreal and Quebec City, but I'd love to see the maritime landscapes of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I mean looking at these photos, how could I resist?

Montreal and QC are amazing. I haven't been to the Canadian coast, but my parents and girlfriend have (separately!!! They don't travel together and leave me at home) and they all loved it for different reasons. Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the world. Under ordinary circumstances, I'd recommend you go in August, when Montreal's weather is lovely and also when the OSM does a week-long festival of short concerts that are scheduled kind of like a school day - you can go to a 45-minute orchestra concert, then pop around the corner to a 45-minute chamber concert, then come back for a 45-minute piano concert, etc. The concept sounds like it's meant for pops, and there are some pops mixed in, but not entirely; I saw two world premieres, the Barber violin concerto, and a piano recital performed (eccentrically but memorably) on a staircase. It was fun building my own "class schedule" by choosing the various concerts (and remembering to leave time for dinner!).

I'd like to go to Iceland and to see the Northern Lights but my wife likes hot climates 

This is a "fight" we have also - I want to see Iceland in the summertime, and she wants the aurora borealis.

[vandermolen]

I'm hoping to travel to Canada next year. I really want to go to Montreal and Quebec City, but I'd love to see the maritime landscapes of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I mean looking at these photos, how could I resist?

Great photos John. I especially like the last one - it looks like something from the Lord of the Rings film!

[MusicTurner]

Tempting indeed. Norway is one of the relatively few countries in that fiord league too.

[greg]

Most likely northern-ish Europe in 2021, was originally planning to go in summer 2020.

Netherlands, Germany, Belgium. Possibly Sweden. But was a plan in progress, not fully set.
And that was after scrapping the original plan of going to New Zealand/Australia.

Was planning to travel abroad once a year after starting to make actual money, but half of those years will probably be Japan, staying away for too long sucks. Never been anywhere outside of the US except for Japan due to lack of time/money...

Also thinking of taking a trip to Mexico if possible in 2021. Monterrey is only a five hour drive from the current city I'm living in.

Russia is a country that has sort of captured my imagination more recently, though it seems it would be hard to get in. Within the next 5 years would be cool to take a visit.

[MusicTurner]

'
Send me an PM whenever you decide to visit western Norway. I can provide you with guiding and perhaps some company/accomodations.

Personally I hope to be able to travel late 2021. San Sebastian/Galicia is high on the list (I've been there twice), but late autumn isn't optimal on the Atlantic coast.

About one year delayed due to corona, I nonetheless now bought a one-way airplane ticket to Ålesund in Western Norway for this summer, on a sale from Norwegian Airlines.

The ticket can be changed however for other destinations, close to the departure - but really nice to look forward to the destination as a fixed option, after two years of domestic trips only.

[greg]

Most likely northern-ish Europe in 2021, was originally planning to go in summer 2020.

Netherlands, Germany, Belgium. Possibly Sweden. But was a plan in progress, not fully set.
And that was after scrapping the original plan of going to New Zealand/Australia.

Was planning to travel abroad once a year after starting to make actual money, but half of those years will probably be Japan, staying away for too long sucks. Never been anywhere outside of the US except for Japan due to lack of time/money...

Also thinking of taking a trip to Mexico if possible in 2021. Monterrey is only a five hour drive from the current city I'm living in.

Russia is a country that has sort of captured my imagination more recently, though it seems it would be hard to get in. Within the next 5 years would be cool to take a visit.

This is hilarious how bad this aged. 

[MusicTurner]

Was corona a factor for you, besides a certain war as regards prospects for Russia?

[greg]

Was corona a factor for you, besides a certain war as regards prospects for Russia?

Yeah, any international travel. Just seemed too risky.
And Japan was closed entirely nearly the whole year.
And having second thoughts about ever visiting Mexico, tbh, you have to really know what you're doing to be safe, not even sure it's worth it. Would love to drive, but would probably have to fly.

[MusicTurner]

Yeah, any international travel. Just seemed too risky.
And Japan was closed entirely nearly the whole year.

Yes, these are sensible considerations for many; some of my family members went abroad in Europe several times though (Sweden, Germany, France etc.) & actually nothing happened, except of one social occasion, where it turned out they'd brought corona with them from Denmark to France. None got seriously ill, however.

I also know a university student of Japanese, who has been unable to go there for 2 years. She went to Tokyo a lot previously though.

[greg]

Yes, these are sensible considerations for many; some of my family members went abroad in Europe several times though (Sweden, Germany, France etc.) & actually nothing happened, except of one social occasion, where it turned out they'd brought corona with them from Denmark to France. None got seriously ill, however.

I also know a university student of Japanese, who has been unable to go there for 2 years. She went to Tokyo a lot previously though.

Yeah, very unfortunate.

[The new erato]

I had a two week trip to Germany and Austria/Wachau about 6 months ago and am hoping to go to the south of France/San Sebastian with my wife and daughter in late June. Hopefully it will go as planned.